Coming Home (Liam Dunbar x Reader - Book 2)

Chapter 6

Warnings: Funeral (all the feelings that come with losing someone is brought up.)

Saying goodbye is never easy. Saying goodbye means you'll never get to say hello again. There's also no more kisses, hugs, phone calls, random text messages, long emails, and saying 'I love you'. All you're left with are memories, some good ones, and some painful ones. Regardless, those memories may put a smile on your face later on, but that same pain you felt the day you said goodbye returns as those flashbacks replay in your mind.

People often say 'you're lucky to have known someone who was so hard to say goodbye to,' but somehow that didn't make me feel better. I know how hard it is for a parent to lose a child as a parent should never have to bury their own children, but a child burying their parent isn't any easier either.

It was a beautiful morning and the weather was perfect for a funeral. It wasn't cloudy or raining, and the sun wasn't blazing. Liam and I abided dad's wishes for his funeral and kept it simple. We didn't have a church service, but had a priest at the cemetery. It didn't make sense to have a church service. None of us were big on religion and dad hadn't gone to church in years.

In front of the coffin were seven chairs for Parker, Isabella, Jackson, myself, Liam, and the girls. The pack stood behind us along with some of dad's friends and coworkers who wanted to say goodbye. What surprised me was seeing some of the lacrosse kids show up, current and alumni students. I had no idea dad had touched so many lives. I knew dad was looking down on all of us and noticed how much he was truly loved by everyone.

As the priest finished up with the service, the guest started forming a line to drop rose petals above my dad's coffin and then going down the line of chairs to give us their condolences. Everyone said they were sorry for our loss, some of them even told me what a great guy my father was.

Soon it was the just the seven of us, along with someone who worked at the cemetery who politely said we could take our time saying goodbye before they had to lower the coffin. That's when I lost it. I literally fell to my knees and sobbed. I didn't care if I got my black dress dirty or looked like a train wreck. All the tears I had been trying to fight back and all the emotions I was trying to ignore and push aside, exploded like a volcano the moment I realized I had to say goodbye to my dad for good.

Jackson kneeled beside me, trying to console me as he wrapped his arms around me. I knew Jackson lost his parents at a very young age and often wished he knew his birth parents, but somehow I felt like he didn't understand my pain and everything I had experienced despite him being by my side through all of it. And for the first time since I ran away from Beacon Hills nearly 18 years ago, I pushed Jackson away. I didn't want him. As much as I loved him, I didn't need him. I needed someone else.

Liam stooped down and placed his hands on my shoulders, trying to comfort me. I quickly turned around and wrapped my arms around him. He didn't waste a second wrapping his arms around me. I sobbed into his chest, not caring about dampening his shirt with my tears or staining his shirt with my make up. I felt his body shake and I knew he was crying with me. We were in this together. I knew Liam was experiencing the same emotions I was because he looked up to my father. My dad was like a second father to him and he was going to have to say goodbye to him too.

"Don't think of it as goodbye," Liam whispered into my ear as his fingers ran through my hair. "Think of it as 'I'll miss you until we meet again."

Later that night

It's been hours since dad's funeral and some of dad's friends and coworkers were finally leaving the house. The pack stayed to help clean up the house and help put away all the food people brought over. It had been a long day and I needed some fresh air.